When we lived in student housing while my dad was attending UC Berkeley, my mom was instrumental in starting a "baby gym" program. It involved the set-up pictured here, where parents would come and basically just play with their kids on the equipment--helping them develop motor skills in the process--and my mom and others would pair music and movement to get kids to move their bodies in creative ways.The baby gym program still exists, and Zoë had a blast attending it when we were in the Bay Area in January.
So here's my question--why in the world doesn't something like this exist in Utah Valley? Or does it and I just don't know about it?
It seems like something like this would be a huge hit during the long winter months here when toddlers and parents alike get major cabin fever. I talked to the program's administrator (a friend), and she said insurance costs aren't actually that bad if you don't include trampolines. And the cost to the parents isn't as high as a normal gymnastics class would be, for instance. I think you could set something like this up and sell monthly passes. Sometimes the gym would be open for playtime and at other times there would be more coordinated classes.
What do you think? Good idea? Who would attend something like this?
7 comments:
I would. I would honestly love it. Harp is at the age where movement and interaction, climbing and jumping and hiding are her favorites. I would go!
I swear I have thought the same thing. Actually not exactly the same thing but close. I went a "movement" class when I was little. They had a piano player and you moved to the music and did games and activities, parachutes, and stuff...think modern dance for 3 year olds. Anyway, it was at the U and I keep meaning to check if its still there. And then I think I should just start one. Sigh...if only I had a barn/dance studio.
While we lived in the white house on 400 South I fantasized A LOT about starting one. I dreamed of using the space in the block just north of our old house. There was an empty space on the end of the building that is just across the street from Allens. I think my hip got bad around the time and I had a series of operations. I was only about 3 years out of teaching gymnastics at that time.
I think I see a place like this up off of Center street in Orem and one off the freeway on the west side just after you pass Linden. When I see these places I sigh because I wanted that to be me.
I would love something like that for my kiddies!
There's little gym and my gym around here. Then there's gymboree in SLT but I'm not exactly sure what that is like. Maybe those aren't the kind of gyms you are thinking about though. And they are sooo expensive!
We used to go to a mommy/baby gym class in Springville that was terrific and cheap (well, $4 a session, which I think is cheap). There was another tumbling gym in Springville that used to open their facilities every Tuesday morning so that children 4 years and younger could mess around on the mats and trampolines. That only cost a dollar (plus the socks that disappeared into the foam block pit every week). It saved our sanity all winter, but I heard that the tumbling place closed. I'll see if I can remember the name of the baby gym classes though.
Great idea!
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